Obituary

Rheba F. Burgess, 92, of Richardson passed away on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Graveside services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, June 20, 2020 at Hale Center Cemetery with Rev. Jimmy Cameron, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Hale Center officiating. Arrangements are under the care of Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Plainview.

Rheba was born on June 6, 1928 in Wichita Falls, Texas to E.A. and Lilly (Perry) Madera. She married Walter L. Burgess on January 19, 1947. They raised their family in Hale Center. Rheba was a bookkeeper for H&H Tractor in Lubbock before moving to Richardson in 2008. She was a member of Eastern Star and a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Hale Center.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband and five brothers and sisters.

Those left to cherish her memory are her son, Larry Burgess of Dallas, TX; her daughter, Carolyn Russell of Burleson, TX; two grandsons, Jordan Burgess of Arlington, TX, Chandler Burgess of Plano, TX and four great grandchildren.

A letter from the family....

Dear friends and family,
My mother was a woman of uncommon grace and courage and she maintained them to the very end. She always had a kind word to offer everyone. She had no prejudice whatsoever regardless of class or color and she loved and accepted every person. She was especially generous and would share whatever she possessed with anyone in need. She was fiercely loyal to her family. She had the amazing gift of selective amnesia where her family was concerned, forgetting all our shortcomings and failures and enlarging our virtues. She had a good sense of humor and enjoyed laughter and told funny stories. She was smart and enjoyed reading and discussing politics. She was one of Hallmarks favorite customers - she sent cards for every occasion to the people she loved, to neighbors and friends, oftentimes to casual acquaintances. She ALWAYS sent Thank You cards for every act of kindness that she was shown. She was strong and independent. Although she was widowed for 35 years, she took pride in being able to take care of herself and she was actively at work until age 70. She was determined and willful and I think she lived as long as she did by sheer force of will. She was resourceful and could host a party or entertain a group of friends with few resources other than her imagination and personality. She was faithful and trustworthy. She loved the Lord and was confident in her eternal salvation. More than anything, she loved!!! She loved us, her family, but she may have loved you too. Anyone reading this email that was involved in her life was a recipient of her love and affection and she received it back from you in multiples. People loved her because she loved them so unselfishly. She was an amazing woman and Carolyn and I were blessed to have her as our mother. Thank you Lord for this incredible gift of her love!!

She passed this morning at 9:10am. She'd been placed in hospice care only last Thursday. She accepted it with her usual attitude of courage and grace. She had enjoyed relatively good health until she fell in January and broke her hip. Hip replacement surgery was hard on her but after a stint in rehab she returned to her home at Twin Rivers Assisted Living. Soon afterwards, she developed a chronic respiratory disorder that she couldn't get over. She was back in the hospital for a week and then two weeks in rehab again where she spent her 92 birthday. She was discharged to her home a week ago today but immediately went downhill. After consulting her medical team and caregivers, we decided hospice should take over her care and provide comfort and spiritual guidance. We were able to have warm and loving conversations with her until the very end. She was not able to verbally respond the last two days but we are confident that she was aware of our presence and heard our words of love and affection. She passed peacefully and pain-free in her own home, in her own bed secure in God's love and the love of her family.

We have appreciated your care and concern for her and know that you too were blessed by her life. Her legacy will live on in the many kindnesses that she shared, the encouragement that she offered and the indomitable love and generosity of spirit that she possessed. A graveside memorial will be held on Saturday, June 20th at 10:30am at Hale Center Cemetery in Hale Center where her body will be interred next to my father's. But she won't be there. She'll be living in glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus. Hallelujah! Thanks be to God!